Danica Patrick
Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racing driver who competed in the IndyCar Series from 2005 to 2011 and the NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel car racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in IndyCar.
Born to a working-class family in Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick began karting at the age of ten. She achieved early success by winning her class in the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times in the mid-1990s. She dropped out of high school with her parents' permission in 1998, and moved to the United Kingdom to further her career. Patrick competed in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001 due to a lack of funding. In 2002, she competed in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick later raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the next two years. Her best effort was third in the championship standings for the 2004 season where she became the first woman to win a pole position in the series.
Patrick first drove in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005 and took three pole positions, equaling Tomas Scheckter's record of poles in a rookie season. She was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series. She improved over the next two years with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2006 and later Andretti Green Racing in 2007. In 2008, Patrick followed up her Japan victory to place sixth overall in the drivers' standings. She improved on this to secure fifth the following season, which saw her finish a career-high third at the Indianapolis 500, the best performance by any woman at the race. Patrick's overall form declined during 2010, but she still managed two second places at oval tracks before leaving IndyCar after the 2011 season to focus on stock car racing full-time.
Patrick began racing stock cars in 2010 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with her best result coming in the form of a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. She placed a career-high tenth in the 2012 season standings and was the second woman to clinch a pole position in the Nationwide Series after Shawna Robinson in 1994. Patrick started in the Sprint Cup Series in 2012. She became the first woman to win a Cup Series pole position by setting the fastest qualifying lap for the 2013 Daytona 500, finishing eighth. Patrick bested Janet Guthrie's record for the most top-ten finishes by a woman in the Sprint Cup Series in 2015. She stopped racing full-time after the 2017 season, but competed at the 2018 Daytona 500 and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 before officially retiring.
Early life
Patrick was born on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin. She is the daughter of working-class parents Beverly Ann and Terry Joseph "T. J." Patrick Jr. Over the years, the couple has owned a coffee shop and a glass company. Patrick has a younger sister. She is half Norwegian, as well as part Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, and Native American. Patrick was raised in Roscoe, Illinois.Patrick was a cheerleader at Hononegah Community High School in nearby Rockton in 1996. She spent her off-time babysitting for a nearby family when she was not racing. Initially she had no interest in racing; Patrick thought of a career as either a secretary, a singer, or a veterinarian. The sisters told their parents of their wish to race go-karts after a friend of Brooke's allowed her to drive one; they were each given a go-kart.
Patrick began karting at Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Her father acted as her crew chief and her mother kept statistics on her racing. Patrick had no role models or idols; she was never "striving to achieve female goals", but aspired to "be the best could be." Patrick's first time driving a go-kart ended when she was running practice laps, and crashed into a concrete wall at due to a brake failure. She was not injured. Patrick improved to finish second out of twenty drivers at the year's end after a twenty-two race schedule. She gradually improved her eye to foot coordination, allowing her to set numerous age-specific track records at Sugar River Raceway and Michiana Raceway Park. Following her interest in kart racing, Patrick dabbled in snowmobiles, motocross, and midget car racing.
At age 13, Patrick asked her parents about moving to California so she could compete throughout the year; they declined, citing business commitments. Nevertheless, she ventured across much of the Midwestern United States, and the rest of the country, to enable her to race. To help defray travel expenses, the family sold merchandise featuring Patrick and imposed a rule that prevented her from undertaking activities that would harm her public image. She won ten regional karting titles, and the World Karting Association Grand National Championship in the Yamaha Sportsman, and later HPV class three times: in 1994, 1996 and 1997.
Patrick was accepted into the Indianapolis-based Lyn St. James Foundation Driver Development Program in 1996. She was taught auto racing's business ventures, and her driving abilities were further refined. Her father often contacted newspapers weekly to chronicle his daughter's performance. Additionally, ABC and MTV ran television segments on Patrick in 1997. This exposure led to her being hired by John Mecom Jr. to compete in the United Kingdom racing circuit. Patrick and her father visited Mecom's family, who agreed to sponsor her on the condition she was sent to a high-quality driving school for further refinement of her racing abilities. She ended up attending three driving schools, including Track Speed School at Sebring International Raceway and the Formula Ford driving school. Patrick later competed in a Sports Car Club of America race at Daytona International Speedway in May 1998.
Junior Formula (1998–2004)
Patrick's parents consented to her dropping out of high school midway through her junior year in 1998, and obtaining a GED certification. She moved by herself to England to advance her racing career and resided in the Buckinghamshire town of Milton Keynes. Three-time Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart helped Patrick and she socialized with drivers such as Jenson Button. Patrick received some financial backing from the Ford Motor Company; she later lost Mecom's support after one season following rumors that she was living an extravagant lifestyle. She successfully persuaded her father to underwrite her career.During the three years Patrick spent in the United Kingdom, Patrick raced in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford, coming ninth in points in the 1999 British Formula Vauxhall Championship. She competed for Haywood Racing in Formula Ford and was Mygale's lead test driver. Patrick was uncompetitive in Formula Ford, claiming the equipment she received was of poor quality. Nevertheless, she came second in the 2000 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch with Haywood Racing, tying Danny Sullivan's best performance by an American in the event. This led to her receiving a Formula Three test with Carlin in 2001. Jaguar Racing team principal Bobby Rahal organized a second test for her with the expectation it would lead to her being put in the Paul Stewart Racing development program; it was cancelled in mid-2001, after new owner Niki Lauda fired Rahal. That year, she was awarded the Gorsline Scholarship Award as the most aspiring road course competitor, and was recognized as the top female open wheel race car driver with experience on the international scene.
Patrick had a difficult season as her Mygale cars did not suit her smooth driving style, and she was outpaced by her teammates. Ford later terminated her program as they suspected the capital they gave her was being misused and felt she was not getting enough technical support. Patrick returned to the United States later that year after her funding dried up. She began negotiations to drive a BMW M3 for Team PTG in the American Le Mans Series in 2002, which ended when BMW withdrew over a technological dispute. Her 2002 campaign began with the fund-raising Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, where she defeated Tommy Kendall to win the professional class, and placed third overall. Patrick and her father traveled to race tracks on weekends with expectations of her being hired by a team owner. She spoke to Rahal about a race seat in June that year; he signed her to a three-year contract at Milwaukee Mile. That month, Patrick tested the ppc Racing Ford Taurus NASCAR Busch Series car in a two-day test session at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
Patrick took part in five races in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, placing thirteenth in points with a best finish of fourth at Molson Indy Vancouver. Patrick switched to the Toyota Atlantic Series in 2003, and was the first woman to race in the championship since 1974. The season saw her secure the first podium for a woman in series' history at the season-opening race in Monterey. She improved on this by finishing second in Miami at the year's end. Patrick was sixth in the drivers' standings with five top-five finishes. In June that year, she made her sports car debut at the Grand Prix of Atlanta, part of the American Le Mans Series, partnering Jérôme Policand in the No. 80 GTS-class Prodrive Ferrari 550, finishing fourth in class and tenth overall. In 2004, she competed in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the second consecutive year, becoming the first woman to win a pole position in series history at the Portland International Raceway race. She took the points lead after finishing second, making her the first woman to lead the championship standings. She ended the season third in points with ten top-five finishes in twelve races.
IndyCar Series career
2005–2007 (Rahal Letterman Racing and Andretti Green Racing)
In December 2004, Rahal Letterman Racing named Patrick to their IndyCar Series roster for 2005 after the team found the resources to run a third car. She debuted at the season-opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, starting ninth and sustaining a crash which led to her being hospitalized for a mild concussion. In the season's fourth race, the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi, Patrick started second and led 32 laps before settling for her best finish of the season, fourth. After setting the fastest overall practice speed at the Indianapolis 500, she started fourth and missed out on winning the race as she was required to conserve fuel. She came fourth after leading nineteen laps and achieved multiple firsts for women at the track. Patrick took her first career pole position at the season's eighth race at Kansas Speedway, becoming the second woman in IndyCar Series history to achieve the feat after Sarah Fisher in 2002. She took two more pole positions at Kentucky Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway to match Tomas Scheckter's record for the most pole positions in a rookie season. Patrick ended 2005 with an 18th-place finish at California Speedway after a crash with Jaques Lazier, finishing her rookie season with 325 points and seven top-ten finishes. She was named Rookie of the Year for both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series.File:Danica Patrick on track 2006 Indy 500.jpg|left|thumb|Patrick driving for Rahal Letterman Racing at the 2006 Indianapolis 500
Patrick returned to Rahal Letterman Racing for the 2006 season. In January, she made her endurance racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, co-driving a Howard-Boss Motorsports Daytona Prototype-class Pontiac Crawford shared by Rusty Wallace, Allan McNish and Jan Lammers. The quartet was in contention for the victory, but retired from overheating problems. Although she qualified third for the season-opening Toyota Indy 300, her team withdrew after teammate Paul Dana was killed in a practice session accident on the day of the race. Thus, Patrick's 2006 IndyCar campaign began at the first road course round of the season, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where she finished sixth; she came eighth at the Indy Japan 300 at Motegi. At the Indianapolis 500, Patrick finished eighth after starting tenth. The rest of her season was modest with four top-tens, which included a season-high placing of consecutive fourth-position finishes: first at the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Speedway, and then the ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225 at Milwaukee Mile. Patrick came ninth in the final standings with 302 points. In November, the March of Dimes awarded her the title of Sportswoman of the Year in celebration of her dedication and success.
Before the 2007 season, Patrick moved to Andretti Green Racing, in place of Bryan Herta in its No. 7 Dallara-IR05 Honda. She opened her season with two top-ten finishes in the first four races. Patrick started the Indianapolis 500 in eighth position. She raced competitively with the leaders, and finished in the same position she started, when the race was halted by rain after 166 laps. Patrick clinched her second consecutive eighth-place finish at the ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225 which was overshadowed by a physical confrontation with Dan Wheldon; the two reconciled after a private meeting with IndyCar president Brian Barnhart. She took her then best career finish with a third at the Bombardier Learjet 550, and improved on this result by clinching second at the season's penultimate race, the Detroit Indy Grand Prix at Belle Isle Street Circuit. Patrick closed off the year by coming eleventh at the season-closing Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, to place seventh in the drivers' standings with 424 points and eleven top-ten finishes.